Prince’s estate has responded after fans claimed AI was used on his new posthumous album Timeless.
The record, which was released last month, features 10 previously unheard tracks recorded by Prince between 1977 and 2016 and spans early demos, 80s and 90s studio work, 2000s deep cuts and a 2016 live performance of How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?
However, after some fans shared their concerns that AI was used to complete the album, particularly the song Calabama, Prince’s team responded via Instagram.
The statement from – NPG Records and The Prince Management Team – read: “Dear Friends, Fams and All.
“As concerns have arisen regarding the credits, timing and arrangement of Prince’s song Calabama, which appeared on Timeless, we are respectfully responding to provide more context and clarity.
At the bridge of Calabama, Prince’s vocal calls out twice for “horns,” but the archived multitrack featured a synthesizer filling that space, which horn players later dubbed. Consistent with Prince’s songwriting and production approach on numerous previous recordings, a group of horn players who played with Prince were assembled to overdub Prince’s synthesizer track with the intended horn line, and this version was released on Timeless.
“All of Prince’s original recorded parts remain intact, with trombone, saxophone, and trumpet added by Greg Boyer, Adrian Crutchfield, and Lynn Grissett. These musicians had close ties to Prince and were credited on the album packaging, despite some claims to the contrary. Except for Calabama, no overdubs were used on any other recording for Timeless, posthumously. Of course, no Al was used on any Prince music.”
The team went on to ask for “kindness and respect” going forward and revealed they are planning more posthumous releases from Prince’s music vault.
The statement continued: “Going forward, we plan to provide even more details regarding the release of the music. Prince’s Vault is an archive of massive size and historical depth. The recordings come in a variety of forms, many of which are simply unfinished. This should not prevent them from being released.
“Some may object to the completion of the unfinished portion of Calabama (even using Prince’s hand-picked musicians and aligned with his creative intent) while others have been very supportive of it and the music overall (which we thank you). We understand not everyone will agree on every decision made regarding Prince music and business matters yet your passion, knowledge, and thoughtful questions are appreciated.
“In closing, no one or two individuals are responsible for the business of Prince and we all wish to foster healthy communications within the Prince community. While it is fair to ask probing questions and assert your sentiments and perspectives on matters related to Prince, it is best done with kindness and respect along with Prince’s well known values of “Love For One Another.” Stay tuned; more to come and soon.”